Board Steering Committee Makes Connections in the US

Board Steering Committee Makes Connections in the US

“Over the past two years, a major focus of my leadership trajectory has been investing in Pivot’s Malagasy leadership at the senior management and board levels,” says Pivot Executive Director Tara Loyd. “It means a lot to put faces to names, build direct relationships, and strengthen ties to one another as a Steering Committee. In order to help them govern the organization as a group, with deep knowledge of Pivot’s roots and international partners, we invested in bringing this delegation of leaders to Boston and New York. Their combination of expertise and lived experience makes them exactly who we need to guide Pivot’s future.”

In May 2022, the Pivot board’s Steering Committee (along with two researchers on the Pivot Science team) made their first group trip to the US with the goals of convening with the full Board of Directors, attending our first in-person fundraising event since the start of the pandemic, and deepening their connections with institutional partners as well as our community of supporters. Despite COVID interrupting some of these plans (leading to the cancellation of both board meeting and fundraiser), members of Pivot’s US-based staff, board, and donor community pitched in to host what turned out to be a meaningful trip for our Steering Committee. Below are a selection of photographs and some personal reflections to illustrate their experience.

Pivot Co-Founder and Senior Clinical Advisor Dr. Michael Rich (far left) served as host to the delegation for a large portion of their visit, including time spent visiting and learning more about Harvard Medical School (HMS), one of Pivot’s founding institutional partners.

From left to right after Michael: Felana Ihantamalala (Postdoctoral Researcher for Pivot through HMS), Faramalala Rabemananjara (Board Member & former Manager of Social Work at Pivot), Ando Randrianandrasana (former Pivot nurse), Luc Rakotonirina (Associate Medical Director), Dr. Tahiry Raveloson (Board Member & former Manager of Hospital Programs at Pivot), Benjamin Andriamihaja (founding Board Member & Senior Technical Advisor), and Dr. Luc Samison (Board Member & Chair of the Steering Committee).

On their first full day in Boston, the group attended thesis defense presentations at the Harvard School of Public Health. Fara reflected that, “the presentations [about other health systems] reminded me of Madagascar, where the health system is lacking so much. The kind of research presented is [important because] it helps people to understand the [reality of healthcare] in rural areas around the world and demonstrates how global health organizations can bring significant support to the health system in countries like Madagascar.”

Dr. Joe Rhatigan, Associate Medical Professor at HMS and the associate chief of the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, led the group on a tour of BWH, which turned out to be a collective highlight of the trip. “The hospital is so big and organized – all systematized – and busy!” Fara reflected, “The nurses we saw were so available and kind to their patients. The system is so different [from Madagascar]; it gave me a new visual of how health systems look on the other side of the world.”

Luc Samison shared his observations of the “huge difference” between US and Malagasy hospitals as well: “Knowing […] that the GDP of this hospital is $15 billion and the GDP of Madagascar is $14 billion, we can understand the problem of equity in health all around the world.” 

The team also met with key clinical leaders of Partners In Health (PIH), another founding institutional partner. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joia Mukherjee and Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anatole Manzi joined them in conversation about global health delivery education. Fara found inspiration in Joia’s approach to integrating academics with implementation by “helping implementers bring out the realities on the ground to academics, and making sure that academic [research] is in turn being used on the ground.”

The two-week visit was full of group meals, but this one – hosted by Pivot Board Member Bob Hower – marked a special opportunity for the visiting board members and US-based team to spend time with key funders. Here, Luc Rakotonirina presented Caroline Easley with a traditional Malagasy art piece as a thank-you to the Wagner Foundation for their years of support for Pivot’s community health work.

The events canceled by COVID made space for opportunities to connect with Pivot’s US supporters in other unexpected ways. Here, the group took up an invitation from long-time Pivot supporter Peter Barrer to meet up at a climate rally at the Massachusetts State House in Boston. This was an especially meaningful connection for Benjamin (pictured speaking in the back on the far right), whose career has centered around conservation in Madagascar.

In place of the fundraiser that was supposed to be hosted by Pivot co-founders Jim and Robin Herrnstein, whose family was among those affected by COVID during this time, the group was able to spend some socially-distanced quality time with them upon their arrival in New York. 

With a fresh round of negative COVID tests in hand, the group made a visit to Energy Fitness, a Long Island-based partner to Pivot since 2016, who annually dedicates a week to rallying their gym members around supporting some aspect of our work. This year, in alignment with our imminent expansion, the theme of Pivot x Energy Week 2022 was “going the distance.” Participants both raised money and tracked their mileage over the course of the week, surpassing their collective goal to cover 8,700 miles (the distance between their headquarters in Saint James, NY and Pivot’s headquarters in Ranomafana)! The Pivot team joined in to log some miles as the week came to a close, with the Energy crew coaching them through circuits of group endurance exercises.

Stony Brook University is the US-based affiliate to conservation research station Centre ValBio, which is one of Pivot’s key local partners in Ranomafana, led by primatologist Pat Wright, another Pivot Board Member. The clinicians among the group took the opportunity to tour the university’s hospital during their time on Long Island, this time with a focus on the emergency department and intensive care unit.

“With the knowledge that women constitute 75% of the global health workforce but only 25% at the leadership level,” explains ED Tara Loyd, “I have made a point to create space for the women leaders who have kids to bring them along, into the work, rather than have to manage their care on the side.”

Fara – who, as mentioned above, is not only a current Board Member but also a former Pivot social worker – brought her daughter Inés with her on the trip. Here, during a sightseeing break between appointments in NYC, they are joined by Fara’s husband, Andres Garchitorena (Associate Director of Pivot Science) who was also part of the visiting group as he was slated to present his work during the science fair-style fundraiser (canceled due to COVID) and connect with academic peers.

While in NYC, the group met with leaders of peer organization Village Health Works, CEO & founder Deo Niyizonkiza (far left) and Chief of Staff Cynthia Riaz (center), to learn more about their work in Burundi, exchange ideas, and cultivate peer-to-peer solidarity.

“Deo’s experience of life is so inspiring,” Fara remarked after hearing Deo share his story about fleeing Burundi during the country’s civil war in the 1990s and finding his way to a career in global health. “Village Health Works is having an impact and I think we can learn from them how to encourage more community participation in Pivot’s work.”

Over the past year, the Steering Committee that has taken shape has invested significant time and energy to deepen their understanding of Pivot’s big picture so that they can directly support and effectively govern the work on the ground, including the upcoming plans to replicate in additional districts. We were honored by the opportunity to host the Steering Committee along with visiting staff leaders, introduce them to the components of Pivot that operate in the US, and strengthen their connections across Pivot’s network. 

As if to sum up our collective perspective on these inspiring leaders, Luc Samison made a point to share a quote by Margaret Mead that, displayed on the wall at BWH, left an impression on him: “Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

 

 




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    • Molecular Diagnostics

      Pivot has partnered with the Ministry of Public Health and Centre ValBio to develop the first molecular diagnostics laboratory for COVID-19 outside of the capital city.  We additionally have partnered with the Pasteur Institute of Madagascar on novel analysis of dried blood spots from I-HOPE survey for serological analysis of measles, malaria, schistosomiasis, Hep B, and COVID-19.

       

      Learn more: 

      Integrating Health Systems and Science to Respond to COVID-19 in a Model District of Madagascar, Rakotonanahary, R.J.L., et al., 2021, Frontiers in Public Health

      Reconciling model predictions with low reported cases of COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa: Insights from Madagascar, Evans, M.V., et al., 2020, Global Health Action

    • Eco-Epidemiological Surveillance

      We collate environmental surveillance data (e.g. vector surveillance) with biomarkers from household surveys (e.g. rapid tests and antibody tests from dried blood spots of participants in the I-HOPE household survey) to inform the spatio-temporal dynamics of infectious diseases.

       

      Learn more:

      Estimating the local spatio‐temporal distribution of malaria from routine health information systems in areas of low health care access and reporting, Hyde, E, et al., 2021, International Journal of Health Geographics

      Reconciling model predictions with low reported cases of COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa: Insights from Madagascar, Evans, M.V., et al., 2020, Global Health Action

    • GIS (geographical)

      We use a participatory approach to map over 20,000 kilometers of footpaths and 100,000 structures. These data have been combined with high resolution data on land cover, a digital elevation model, rainfall data, and geolocated data from the IHOPE cohort (see above). These data are used to determine travel times to health care, measure geographic equity, and study geospatial determinants of disease. Accessibility modeling results are available on an e-health platform developed with R Shiny.

    • IHOPE (household-level longitudinal cohort)

      The Ifanadiana Health Outcomes and Prosperity longitudinal Evaluation (IHOPE) cohort was established in 2014 at the start of Pivot’s work in Ifanadiana District. Modeled after Demographic and Health Surveys, it tracks standard international health, demographic, and socioeconomic indicators. IHOPE has the following combination of characteristics that are novel for localized interventions:

      • True baseline
      • True representative sample
      • Sample from inside and outside of the initial catchment population
      • Collection by third party professionals at the National Institute of Statistics who collect identical data nationally
      • Tracks same individuals over time
      • Includes biomarkers such as dried blood spots used for molecular analyses

       

      Learn more: 

      Baseline Population Health Conditions Ahead of a Health System Strengthening Program in Rural Madagascar, Miller, A., et al. 2017, Global Health Action

    • HMIS and Routine M&E

      Health management information systems (HMIS) collect information on health system utilization and care provision at public sector facilities. These data are combined with additional, routine monitoring and evaluation (M&E) data to track over 1000 indicators of health system performance in Ifanadiana District, including rates of treatment and service utilization, quality of care, supply stock-outs, and human resource capacity at every level. These data are accessible via a real-time dashboard.

    • Capacity-Building

      The purpose of Pivot Science is to improve health outcomes over the long-term. Central to this goal is a new capacity building program, which focuses on both increasing research skills among clinicians/implementers, as well as helping researchers better understand and inform clinical priorities. The training includes a series of workshops on understanding clinical priorities, developing research questions, methodology, and dissemination. Trainees include a range of personnel who work within Madagascar’s health sector.

    • COVID-19 and Molecular Diagnostics

      The majority of deaths in Madagascar are due to infectious diseases and most cases go undiagnosed. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need to implement new diagnostic assays in rural health districts. Pivot has partnered with the Ministry of Public Health and Centre ValBio to develop the first molecular diagnostics laboratory for COVID-19 outside of the capital city, which provides both diagnostic capacity as well as a platform for scientific innovation at the intersection of biomedicine and planetary health.

       

      Learn more: 

      Integrating Health Systems and Science to Respond to COVID-19 in a Model District of Madagascar, Rakotonanahary, R.J.L., et al., 2021, Frontiers in Public Health

      Reconciling model predictions with low reported cases of COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa: Insights from Madagascar, Evans, M.V., et al., 2020, Global Health Action

    • Eco-Epidemiology & Surveillance

      There have been major advances in the science of infectious disease dynamics. But there is inadequate application of these advances at local scales to inform health interventions. We combine environmental information, spatially granular health system data, and population surveys, with mathematical models to understand and forecast local disease dynamics (such as malaria, measles, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis and diarrheal disease) to improve service delivery. 

       

      Learn more:

      Estimating the local spatio‐temporal distribution of malaria from routine health information systems in areas of low health care access and reporting, Hyde, E, et al., 2021, International Journal of Health Geographics

      Reconciling model predictions with low reported cases of COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa: Insights from Madagascar, Evans, M.V., et al., 2020, Global Health Action

      Towards elimination of lymphatic filariasis in southeastern Madagascar: Successes and challenges for interrupting transmission, Garchitorena, A., et al., 2018, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases

    • Operational Research for UHC

      Operational research provides insights into how programs are implemented with an emphasis on quality and fidelity to organizational, national, and international standards. Our operational research priority areas include UHC financing, health care quality, patient satisfaction, and health worker performance. This is a high priority area for growth across clinical and data teams at Pivot. 

       

      Learn more:

      Evaluation of a novel approach to community health care delivery in Ifanadiana District, Madagascar, Razafinjato, B., et al., 2020, medRxiv

      Rapid response to a measles outbreak in Ifanadiana District, Madagascar, Finnegan, K.E., et al., 2020 medRxiv

      Networks of Care in Rural Madagascar for Achieving Universal Health Coverage in Ifanadiana District, Cordier, L.F., 2020, Health Systems & Reform

      In Madagascar, Use Of Health Care Services Increased When Fees Were Removed: Lessons For Universal Health Coverage, Garchitorena, A., et al., 2017, Health Affairs

    • Geography & Community Health

      We are advancing new methods that combine granular health system data with a massive GIS dataset containing over 100,000 structures and 15,000 miles of footpaths in the district. This is used to identify geographic barriers and improve the design of the health system to reach everyone. To overcome geographic barriers, we have piloted a model of proactive community health for Madagascar, and are evaluating its impact and feasibility.

       

      Learn more:

      Estimating the local spatio‐temporal distribution of malaria from routine health information systems in areas of low health care access and reporting, Hyde, E, et al., 2021, International Journal of Health Geographics

      Improving geographical accessibility modeling for operational use by local health actors, Ihantamalala, F.A, et al., 2020, International Journal of Health Geographics

      Evaluation of a novel approach to community health care delivery in Ifanadiana District, Madagascar, Razafinjato, B., et al., 2020, medRxiv

    • Population-Level Impact Evaluation

      We measure the impact of our work through the analysis of a district-representative longitudinal cohort. Our quasi-experimental design allows for some of the most rigorously evaluated analysis of health systems change on population health in Africa. These analyses show improvements in nearly every major health indicator, including infant mortality, under-five mortality, vaccine coverage, access to and quality of health care services, and health equity.

       

      Learn more:

      District-level health system strengthening for universal health coverage: evidence from a longitudinal cohort study in rural Madagascar, 2014-2018, Garchitorena, A., et al. 2020, BMJ Global Health

      Early changes in intervention coverage and mortality rates following the implementation of an integrated health system intervention in Madagascar, Garchitorena, A., et al. 2018, BMJ Global Health

      Assessing trends in the content of maternal and child care following a health system strengthening initiative in rural Madagascar: A longitudinal cohort study, Ezran, C., et al. 2019, PLOS Medicine

      Baseline Population Health Conditions Ahead of a Health System Strengthening Program in Rural Madagascar, Miller, A., et al. 2017, Global Health Action

    • Data Systems

      PIVOT is fully integrated with Madagascar’s Health Management information System. By combining many kinds of data – outcomes, programmatic, geographic and more – we gain insights to inform our approaches in an ongoing improvement cycle.

    • Quality of Care

      Care is of no use to our patients’ health unless it is high-quality. We focus on bringing the best possible care to all levels of the health system, whether offered at a patient’s doorstep, at health centers, or at the hospital.

    • Supply Chain & Equipment

      Constant collaboration and integration with Madagascar’s national supply chain helps maintain adequate stocks of more than 40 essential medicines and supplies across all levels of care while steadily closing the gaps on stockout rates and saving lives.

    • Finance

      PIVOT is working with the government’s National Health Solidarity Fund to create a transparent system for patients, providers, donors, and government officials, building on success in removing financial barriers to care through patient reimbursements.

    • HR & Recruitment

      Skilled, well trained and compassionate people are the most vital components of any health system. To meet the unusual challenge of a setting where posting may be truly remote, PIVOT teamed up with the Ministry of Public Health to design and implement a joint recruitment and retention strategy.

    • Infrastructure

      A public health system needs dignified and durable spaces – a difficult task in a mountainous rainforest environment. The district’s most remote facilities are a priority, where partnership with local communities and contractors ensure that rehabilitated spaces are maintained over time.

    • Emergency Transport

      74% of the people in Ifanadiana District live more than a 5-kilometer walk to the nearest health center. Our district-wide public ambulance referral system is the only one of its kind in Madagascar, operating 24/7 since 2014 to bring urgent cases in for treatment at no cost to the patient.

    • Patient Accompaniment

      PIVOT accompagnateurs welcome people into a system that may be unfamiliar. They explain the process, assist in navigating the system,address the need for food and lodging when needed, and check on the kids back home. This service, along with the improved availability and quality of care, has helped quadruple the use of outpatient health services in Pivot’s catchment area.

    • Maternal Health

      Our programs successfully address high rates of maternal deaths among the women in Ifanadiana District, who give birth an average of seven times during their reproductive lifetime, with four in every five deliveries occurring at home. In the first two years of fully supported obstetric services, access to family planning, and facility-based deliveries, the maternal mortality rate dropped by 20%.

    • Malnutrition

      More than half of the children under 5 in Madagascar are chronically malnourished. We are piloting a national program in Ifanadiana District that combines screening, treatment, and prevention across all levels of the health system to address this major cause of child mortality.

    • Tuberculosis

      TB is so prevalent in Madagascar that there are an estimated 500 new cases in our district every year, most undetected and untreated. In partnership with the National Tuberculosis Program,  we launched a program to control TB in 2017 to upgrade basic resources and capacity, and to ensure that diagnosis and treatment are available in Ifanadiana District.

    • Child Health

      Children under 5 are those most likely to die from preventable causes like malaria, pneumonia and diarrhea. We implement protocols for the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness to guide health workers in diagnosis and treatment and to assess nutrition and vaccine status in low-resource settings.